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On this day in Alabama history: First Treaty of Washington was signed

By Graydon RustAlabama 200

November 14, 2017

Portions of the Old Federal Road, such as this one in Monroe County, still remain in the state. This section is located near the Butler County line off County Road 38, close to the Middleton Cemetery. Efforts are underway to document and preserve the remnants of the road as a historic trail. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, photo by Greg Waselkov, Center for Archaeological Studies, University of South Alabama)

November 14, 1805

The First Treaty of Washington was signed between the United States and the Creek Nation. The agreement allowed the United States to build a horse path from the Ocmulgee River in Georgia to the Mobile River. The road was meant to function as a portion of what became the Federal Road, a route that connected Washington, D.C., to New Orleans. In return, the federal government agreed to pay the Creek Nation $12,000 annually for eight years and $11,000 annually for the following 10 years. The road opened present-day Alabama to thousands of white settlers but also caused tensions among the Creeks that eventually led to war and removal.